Syringe construction

ABSTRACT

The compact syringe construction wherein the internal plunger is externally actuated by a side-mount actuator so connected to an interior plunger portion that a forward advance of the actuator will effect a forward advance of the interior plunger, this for desired liquid expression from the syringe. Two embodiments of the invention specifically disclose teachable, flexible elongate connector inter-engagement of the plunger and actuator and also a pin-type sealed interconnection. General syringe improvements as to slanted forward-face closure, and related items are included.

llnited States Patent [191 Holhrook SYRINGE CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Le Grand K. I-Iolbrook, Salt Lake City, Utah [73] Assignee: Medical Development Corporation,

Salt Lake City, Utah [22] Filed: Aug. 12, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 171,211

[52] US. Cl. 128/218 P, 128/2144, 128/220 [51] Int. Cl A6lm 5/22 [58] Field of Search128/2l8 R, 218 M, 218 P, 220,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,950,137 3/1934 Dowe 128/220 UX 2,833,280 5/1958 Hein, Jr 128/218 P 3,262,448 7/1966 Ring et a1. l28/2l4.4

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 364,320 10/1962 Switzerland 128/218 R 2/1961 Norway 128/218 R 3/1970 Great Britain 128/220 Primary Examiner-Lucie H. Laudenslager Attorney, Agent, or Firm-M, Ralph Shaffer [5 7] ABSTRACT The compact syringe construction wherein the internal plunger is externally actuated by a side-mount actuator so connected to an interior plunger portion that a forward advance of the actuator will effect a forward advance of the interior plunger, this for desired liquid expression from the syringe. Two embodiments of the invention specifically disclose teachable, flexible elongate connector inter-engagement of the plunger and actuator and also a pin-type sealed interconnection. General syringe improvements as to slanted forwardface closure, and related items are included.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures SYRINGE CONSTRUCTION The present invention relates to syringes and, more particularly, to a new and improved compact syringe which can be side-actuated.

In the past, many types of syringes have been devised for use by medical personnel. Syringes are now taking the form of pre-packaged, disposable units, this to effect labor-cost savings in hopitals and thus avoid sterilization of reusable types of syringes, and so forth.

A central problem at the present time is to effect a design embodying size reduction which will eliminate the usual rearwardly extending stem of the plunger.

Such stems are objectionable from a pre-package compactness point of view since the same are easily, inadvertently depressed or otherwise moved and, further, extend rearwardly to take up a great deal of space.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved syringe.

A further object is to provide a new and improved syringe having side-actuation means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a syringe providing an essentially complete expression of contents.

A further object is to provide in a syringe construction a side-actuator which is sealingly keyed to the plunger portion of the syringe, this such that a forward advance of the actuator will produce a mutual advance of the plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plunger or piston in a syringe construction which is actuated through elongate connector means tied to a side-mounted actuator, and this in a manner such that a forward movement of the actuator will produce a forward, liquid-expression-producing movement of the plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a highly compact syringe construction.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a syringe constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged detail of the needle hubportion of FIG. 2 prior to diaphragm penetration.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical section along the line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a transverse enlarged vertical section taken along the line 7--7 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 6, illustrating the sealing construction of the connection means between the actuator and the interior piston or plunger of the syringe shown.

In FIG. 1, the syringe 10 is shown to include a barrel or container 111 having a forward extension 12. Forward extension 112 is interiorly provided with a diaphragm 13 that is pierceable by the sharpened rearward extremity 14 of cannula needle 15.

Needle 15 is provided with a hub 16 that is recessed at 17 with inclusion of conventional seal 18. Hub 16 includes a slot 19 that selectably receives key 20 of forward extremity 12. Accordingly, the forward end of the syringe container construction provides that upon the proper rotational displacement of needle 15 by its hub 16, the key and slot above referred to may be brought into alignment such that the hub may be advanced, as shown by the double arrows in FIG. 2A, rearwardly to a position as indicated in FIG. 2, wherein the needle 15 is advanced rearwardly to penetrate diaphragm 13.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 it is seen that a cap 22 may be used to close off and thus temporarily seal the rearward extremity 23 of container 11.

Disposed within container 11 is a plunger 24, the same including a piston portion 25 having forward extremity 26. The latter is designed to fit into cavity 27 as formed by diaphragm l3 and container 11, to provide for as near a complete expression of fluid from the syringe as possible. Also aiding complete expression is the inwardly disposed sloped surface 27 which is angulated as indicated in FIG. 2 and which also corresponds with the general contour of the forward face 28 of piston portion 25 of the plunger. Grip knob or retrieval portion 30 is provided and is integrally formed with the piston portion 25 of plunger 24. It may have knurled portion 31 to aid in the thumb and finger gripping of the plunger for purposes hereinafter set forth.

Piston portion 25 includes a retainer 32 which anchors elongate connector 33 to the plunger. Elongate connector 33 proceeds forwardly to loop around a slipanchor 34. The latter is preferably molded into the structure of the container 11 at 35. The elongate connector 33 likewise proceeds, from its forward doubledback extremity, rearwardly in the direction of arrow B, to proceed through a plunger slot 36. From thence the same loops over the rear portion 37 of container 11 and is anchored to actuator 38 at C. A recess 39 may be provided to provide a relief area for slip-anchor 34.

The container 11 of syringe has a pair of inwardly turned rail portions 41 and 42, see FIG. 3, which engage the undercut slots 43 and 44 of actuator 38.

Accordingly, the actuator 38 is adapted to slide forwardly, being in slideable, operative engagement with rail portions 41 and 42 of the track T. The entire structure of container 10 may be molded in a conventional manner. 1

The structure as thus far described, see FIGS. 1-3, 7 and 2A, operates as follows: During the course of manufacture the container 11 will be provided, and be equipped with elongate connector 33 as illustrated. A suitable liquid L is introduced and the plunger 24 is installed. The plunger will be dimensioned for sealing engagement with interior wall of container 11. Actuator 38, of course, will be installed so as to engage the rail portions 41 and 42 as hereinbefore mentioned. Subsequently, a cap 22 will be emplaced over the rearward extremity of container 111.

The cannula needle will be provided as indicated in FIG. 2A, but in a manner such that there will not exist an initial penetration of the needle 15 relative to diaphragm 13.

At the time of dermal puncture the user will rotate the needle hub 16 such that the key-slot arrangement of FIG. 7 is achieved, at which point the needle pierces diaphragm 13. At this point the dermal puncture is accomplished and the user will withdraw the plunger 24 slightly by use of grip knob 30, this to see if a vein has been punctured. If blood commences to flow into the needle and the forward end of the container 11, then the needle, of course, is immediately withdrawn.

Assuming proper needle insertion in the patient, then the user need only advance actuator 38 forwardly in order to achieve a proper expression of the syringe liquid into the patient. A forward advance of actuator 38, of course, draws upon the elongate connector 33 so that the latter will pull the piston portion 25 of plunger 24 forwardly.

Once the plunger 24 has been advanced forwardly sufficiently that the forward face 28 engages surface 27, and forward extension 26 has entered into and filled the cavity 27, then a complete expression of fluid will have obtained.

For convenience, the forward extension 26 may include a slight recess R to accommodate the rearward extremity of cannula needle 15. Accordingly, it is seen that there is provided a syringe of minimum elongate dimension. The usual plunger stem has been eliminated and, in its place, merely a side-actuator is used to advance departure 24 forwardly.

FIGS. 4-6 and FIG. 8 illustrate another embodiment of the invention so far as an actuator construction is concerned.

In FIG. 4 the syringe container 40 may be formed of a hard plastic such as polyethelene which may be provided with a side-wall slot 41'. Seated within the slot is an endless resilient lip 42' made of rubber, neoprene or soft polyethelene.

The lip or liner 42' is resilient so as to admit the passage of a pin 43 engaging actuator 44' and also plunger 45. The plunger 45, of course, will correspond to plunger 24 in FIG. 2. Liner 42 includes outwardly extending rail portions 46 and 47 for engaging the undercut slots 48 and 49 of actuator 44. Most importantly, the line also enables a sealing engagement around the stem or pin 43' such that no liquid will leak out between the pin and the liner.

A further view of the structure in this regard is illustrated in FIG. 8. Advancement of the plunger is accomplished simply by a longitudinally-keyed construction wherein the plunger is keyed by pin 43' to the actuator 44'. See FIG. 5.

Accordingly, once plunger depression is needed, and after the preliminary penetration of cannula needle of diaphragm 13A, the actuator can easily be advanced forwardly such that plunger 45 advances forwardly to gradual complete expression of container fluid.

What has been provided, hence, is new and improved syringe construction of minimal size, and which can be precharged and prepackaged in very small sized disposable units. An essential feature of the invention is the exterior actuation of an interior piston or plunger, and this in such a manner and by such a means that the conventional plunger stem normally protruding rearwardly from the syringe can be eliminated from the construction.

While thumb and finger tabs X, Y and Z are illustrated, see FIG. 1, as being integral portions of the container of the syringe and the actuator thereof, one, two, or even all of the same may be eliminated from the construction if further compactness is desired.

As to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the elongate flexible connector as at 33, which actuates the plunger, by its design prevents inadvertent retraction of the plunger once injection has commenced.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

1 claim:

1. A syringe including in combination, an elongate container, piston means operatively disposed within said container, actuator means retentively externally engaging said container and constructed for longitudinal slideable movement therealong, and means for coupling said piston means to said actuator means for mutual same-directional travel therewith, and wherein said coupling means comprises a flexible elongate connector interengaging said piston means and said actuator means and being doubled back within said container to form a doubled-back forward extremity, and slip anchor means disposed forwardly within and secured to said container slideably engaging said flexible elongate connector at said doubled-back forward extremity of said flexible elongate connector.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said piston includes a slot slideably and sealingly receiving said flexible elongate connector therethrough.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said container has an exterior, integral, longitudinally disposed, track, said actuator being constructed to retentively,

slideably engage said track. 

1. A syringe including in combination, an elongate container, piston means operatively disposed within said container, actuator meaNs retentively externally engaging said container and constructed for longitudinal slideable movement therealong, and means for coupling said piston means to said actuator means for mutual same-directional travel therewith, and wherein said coupling means comprises a flexible elongate connector interengaging said piston means and said actuator means and being doubled back within said container to form a doubled-back forward extremity, and slip anchor means disposed forwardly within and secured to said container slideably engaging said flexible elongate connector at said doubled-back forward extremity of said flexible elongate connector.
 2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said piston includes a slot slideably and sealingly receiving said flexible elongate connector therethrough.
 3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said container has an exterior, integral, longitudinally disposed, track, said actuator being constructed to retentively, slideably engage said track. 